First Impressions
by princessozmaofoz
Summary: It's love at first sight for Caine Soren as he first lays eyes on Diana Ladris in the most unlikely of places. Caine/Diana. COMPLETE.


**Disclaimer: Sadly, I am not Michael Grant and I own nothing Gone- related.**

First Impressions

Caine Soren frowned at the piece of paper in his hand as he walked. It was a referral to the Coates Academy school psychiatrist. Caine had known it was only a matter of time before his teachers sent him to see the school shrink; he just hadn't anticipated being sent on his first day.

Prior to sending him to Coates, Caine's " parents" had made appointments with the best psychiatrists money could buy in an attempt to " fix" their son. Caine had refused to cooperate with the first couple of shrinks to whom he had been sent. Later, he had employed a different approach. He had utilized the magnetic charisma that made him one of the most popular people at his school, painting himself as the ideal child: hardworking, clever, responsible, idealistic, and ambitious. The psychiatrists had believed his stories and sympathized with the boy who only wanted acceptance – (Caine was careful not to tell them that he wanted people to defer to him and not _accept_ him)- and yet was tragically misunderstood by his parents and a good number of his peers. When all other attempts at "treatment" had failed, Caine's parents sent him to Coates Academy, which had a reputation for dealing with troubled adolescents.

When Caine reached the psychiatrist's office, he opened the door and walked into the waiting room. He signed his name on the sign-in list and sat down on one of the cushioned chairs in the corner of the room. His eyes darted about the room and eventually locked on a girl sitting on another one the chairs in the corner. For a moment, Caine found that he couldn't breathe; the girl was so lovely that she all but took his breath away. The fan in the room had lifted her long, dark hair so that it flew about her face, brushing against her smooth skin. Her dark eyes, framed by long eyelashes, studied Caine as her rich, full lips curved in a frown. He realized that he was gaping at her. Her eyes returned to the textbook on her lap, and Caine dropped his gaze. _Who was the girl? And why was she here?_

When Caine's parents had started to send him to psychiatrists, Caine had gotten into the habit of analyzing the patients that sat in the waiting room with him and determining why they were there. Caine considered this a suitable exercise for his extraordinary mind. The girl in the Coates waiting room, however, remained an enigma. She looked too smart to have a substance abuse problem, too confident to have self-image or anxiety issues, and too stable to have an anger problem. Yet, there she sat, waiting to see the psychiatrist—just like Caine.

She had not looked up from her textbook since she had given Caine the dirty look. This annoyed Caine. Although Caine hadn't been particularly interested in any of the girls at his old school, girls had always been interested in him. Caine slouched in his chair, hoping that his change in posture would attract the girl's attention. It didn't. Caine continued to watch the girl out of the corner of his eye. The girl still didn't glance his way. Caine picked up a magazine from one of the tables and pretended to read it, still studying the strange girl over the magazine cover. Eventually, the girl put the book down and stared unblinkingly at Caine.

" Care to tell me why you keep staring at me?" she asked, a frustrated expression in her dark eyes.

Caine was speechless. He struggled to answer, half-delighted that she had finally paid attention and half-worried that he might jeopardize his chances with her.

" Um... er... no reason," Caine stammered. " It's nothing."

" _Good_," the girl snapped. " Then, stop doing it."

She focused her attention back on her textbook.

" I'm Caine, by the way. Caine Soren. This is my first day at Coates."

Still not glancing up from her book, the girl responded.

" Your first day and already in here? You really must be a _bad_ boy."

Caine wasn't sure whether she meant this as a compliment or an insult, but he decided that this was as good an opening as any.

" Yeah," Caine said. "I'm pretty tough."

He let out an enormous fake yawn extending his arms in the process and temporarily flexing his biceps as he returned his arms to his side. The girl continued to stare at her book.

" So, seeing as I'm new here, I'm going to need someone to show me around... help me get adjusted. Could you... I mean … would you?"

" No," the girl said emphatically.

" Diana Ladris," the receptionist said. " You can go in now."

" Saved by the bell," the strange girl said. Seeing the bemused expression on Caine's face, the girl clarified. " Miss Bell, the secretary."

Diana followed the receptionist out of the room, and Caine watched her go. He scowled. That hadn't gone well at all.

As an angry-looking boy with sandy hair entered the room, a new thought came to Caine. There was an opportunity to make a good second impression. Caine Soren had a knack for getting what he wanted, and he'd win this girl even if he had to work harder than he'd ever worked before.


End file.
